Page 8 - European Energy Innovation - Autumn 2016 publication
P. 8
8 Autumn 2016 European Energy Innovation
COMMUNICATION
Coolers and their problems;
capacity, noise, energy
consumption, plot space,
pollution and cross-winds
Polluted bundle In air-cooled coolers, the But suppose there were some as yet
Clean bundle ambient air is used to cool (part unknown solutions that might yield
of a) process. That is why coolers unprecedented benefits?! And suppose
are always positioned outside. you could take them just that little bit
However, this also makes them further?!
more sensitive to factors that
affect their capacity, such as SITUATION
cross-winds, pollution by dust In Gunzenhausen, Germany, there is
and pollen, and air pollution (see a rendering factory that is situated in
photograph no. 1). Furthermore, a beautiful location between woods,
because they are situated farms and a B-road intersection - the
outside, the noise of the fans perfect recipe for polluted bundles, as
result in coolers often being one shown in photograph no. 1. This bundle
of the greatest causes of noise in obviously needs cleaning, and the most
a process. Besides that, they take obvious way to do that would be to use
up a lot of space and consume water. However, if you don’t choose
a lot of energy. This article the right method (high-pressure water
proposes a number of solutions or foam on the inside of the machine),
for these three problems and there is a good chance that you’ll only
even for all three problems at the manage to clean the first row and not
same time. the rows behind. Added to that, the fins
often get sprayed flat, and this actually
CAPACITY PROBLEMS DUE TO reduces heat transfer. Other solutions
POLLUTION are also possible, but many of them
Pollution of the bundles is a well- require the equipment to be switched
known problem that occurs everywhere off as it cannot be cleaned while the
where bundles are located close to fans are still running. This could cost
trees, roads, agricultural land and cities you a lot.
- in other words, practically everywhere
on land. And what if your bundle looks ALTERNATIVE SOLUTION
like the one in photograph no. 1?! The alternative is dry cleaning, which
You’ve probably long-since resigned is ideal for induced and forced draft
yourself to the fact that your cooling cooling bundles. A special (non-toxic,
capacity is limited or that it has become biologically degradable) powder is
a bottleneck in your process, yet you sprayed on the bundles using low
need to find a solution fast because air pressure (5-6 bar), and in effect
you have very little cooling capacity this blows the dirt off the fins. With
left! There are solutions, but they’re this method, you no longer need to
often temporary or they only clean walk over the bundles, the fins remain
the bundles on the outside (because undamaged, all the rows of fins are
deep cleaning is difficult), which means actually cleaned, and, if you use
that your cooling capacity will still not induced draft, you don’t even have to
be optimal and is likely to deteriorate switch off the fans. In the rendering
again in the course of time anyway. factory in Gunzenhausen, the bundles
www.europeanenergyinnovation.eu
